Japanese beetle grubs feed below ground on turfgrass roots and are the most severe pests of turfgrass in the Midwest and eastern United States. Annual economic losses exceed $200 million. Because no practical method exists to detect grub infestations before irreversible damage has occurred, turfgrass managers often apply an annual preventive pesticide without knowing whether or not a grub problem exists. As a result, many unnecessary pesticide applications occur. Due to environmental concerns, turfgrass managers are under increasing pressure to eliminate unnecessary pesticide applications. To do this, a practical, cost-effective method is needed to pinpoint grub infestations before visible damage has occurred. In 2001 and 2002, we investigated using remote sensing to detect grub infestations before damage becomes noticeable to an observer. In both years, turfgrass plots were established in a randomized complete block design, with treatments consisting of low, intermediate, and high grub densities. Multi-spectral aerial imagery and field spectrometer data were collected over the plots on a 7-10 day interval during late summer and early fall. Visual ratings were made on the same interval. Derivative analysis was performed on the spectrometer data. Both the imagery and spectrometer data revealed treatment differences 1-2 weeks before significant visual differences occurred.
Species 1: Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Popillia japonica (Japanese beetle)
Keywords: remote sensing, white grub
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